Car-uncoupling mechanism



May 5, 1925.

. "1,536,132 H. c. PRIEBE m UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Filed'Mai-ah 9, .1921

will" NITEDVSTVATES PATENT OFFICE.

: iinaivmn c. PBIEBE, or BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

CAR-UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

Application filed March 9, 1921w Serial No. 451,010.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known thatI, ITERMAN C. Pruner, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gar-UncouplingMechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to mechanism for uncoupling or separating theknuckles of couplers which are employed to join railway cars intotrains.

The invention has for its object the provision of a single piece leverin direct withdrawing engagement with the coupler lock of acar coupler.These single piece levers are devoid of joints and connections whichhave hitherto been employed in levers that were used to withdraw couplerlocks. Owing to the joints and connections that have hitherto beenemployed in coupler lock withdrawing levers, such levers have beenliable to breakage and misadjustment, and have been faulty andunreliable in action.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 isa plan view showing an end portion of a car equipped with the device ofmy invention, the uncoupling position of the parts being shown in dottedlines; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, theuncoupling positions of the parts being also here shown in dottedlines;.and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the structure as it appearsin full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. j

Like parts are indicated by similar charactors of reference throughoutthe different figures. i i

The drawing shows part of an underframe and the portion of an end sill 1included in. such underfraine which may be of any usual or suitableconstruction. Said end sill carries a bracket 2 near one end thereof, aneye 3 being formed in the upper end of said bracket. This eyeserves as aloose bearing for the shank l of the lever, this shank carrying a handle5 at the outer end thereof and a crank '6 at its inner end, thisorankbeing connected with the stem 4; by an arm 7. The crank passesloosely through the eye 8 of any usualor suitable knuckle lock 9 carriedby the coupler knuckle 10 and serving to connect this coupler knucklewith a complemental coupler knuckle upon the next car. The leverstructure 4, 5, 6, 7 is a one piece structure, being preferably formedof heavy rod cut to proper length and thereafter bent in suitable shape.To guard against the disassembly of the coupler lock 9 and the crank 6,this crank is desirably angularly extended as indicated at 11. Theportion of the coupler lock 9 carrying the eye 8 is in the nature of avertically movable pin. In order that the lever may operate upon the pinto move it vertically without, binding the pin in the knuckle structurethat holds it, the lever shank 4 is provided with a floating bearing 12adjacent the crank arm 7, the lever shank passing loosely through thisbearin Said bearing is desirably carried upon one end of an arm 13 whoseother end is so pivotally connected at 1a upon the adjacent bumper block15 as to permit said arm to swing horizontally. The coupler lock islocated between the ends of said arm as is also the crank member 6 ofthe lever. When the uncoupling operation is to be performed the handle 5is turned from its normal depending vertical position shown in fulllines in the drawing to a horizontal position. Due to this movement ofthe lever the coupler lock 9 iselevated but as this coupler lock isconfined substantially to a straight line vertical movement such lockwill force the crank member 6 of the lever to move also in asubstantially vertical line thereby causing the lever to swing in theloose bearing 3 while it is turning. The lever, in swinging, will carrywith it its support or bearing 12 upon which the inner end of the levershank 4: turns in order to raise the knuckle lock. The horizontallyswinging arm 13 is the device upon which the inner portion of the leverstructure is supported in a manner to permit the lever to swing or shiftwhile it is being turned. The lever rod is journaled upon thehorizontally swinging arm at a point substantially fixed with re spectto the arm, whereby the arm need not drawingengagement with said look;and horizontallyswinging a rni upon which the inner portion of saidlever is journaled at a substantially fixed point with reference to thearm a'ndservi1rg-to permit shifting of the lever as it is operated toWithdraw the look;

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twenty-fourth dayof F ebru- 2 why A. 1)., 1921. y I I I z IIER'MAN C. PRIEBE.

